Heart, Pay Him No Mind
by Onryo
Summary: Nick likes to think he has a good eye for noticing certain things, and Thad knows he loves to put plans in motion to prove his theories right. What will become of Hunter and Sebastian when he decides they're bound to be together?
1. Part I

**Title:** Heart, pay him no mind  
**Characters:** Hunter Clarington, Nick Duval, Jeff Sterling, Sebastian Smythe, Thad Hardwood.  
**Pairings|Friendships: **(Hints of) Huntbastian | Jeff+Nick+Sebastian+Thad; Hunter+Sebastian.  
**Rating:** PG-13 (T for language)  
**Summary:** Nick likes to think he has a good eye for noticing certain things, and Thad knows he loves to put plans in motion to prove his theories right. What will become of Hunter and Sebastian when he decides they're bound to be together?  
**Warnings:** Headcanon, headcanon everywhere! And some unintended OOC.  
**IMPORTANT: **I am not a native English speaker, so I apologise in advance for every single mistake I've made. I had no intention of killing the English language with this story. This isn't beta-ed, so as I've said, expect to see mistakes. Also, I took a few writer liberties and made up a lot of things, and I am sure the majority of them don't fit the canon whatsoever.  
**Author's notes:** My initial intention was to write a drabble. I can't pinpoint the exact moment when I got carried away with it and this ended up being a short multi-chapter FanFiction. I'd also like to apologise for my mistakes once again and point out that I wote this in British English (since it's the one that I know) but I tried to keep the dialogues in American so it sounded more... realistic? I don't know, I guess you'll have to judge this piece of writing :) Thanks in advance for reading!  
Oh, and before I forget, the story is named after one of my favourites tangos, "Corazón, no le hagas caso" by Carlos Bahr. Btw, the lyrics barely have something to do with the main events of the story -just in case someone is curious enough to check them up.

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**Heart, Pay Him No Mind**

Part I

Thad was a most diligent student, he really was, but the prospect of writing an essay about Voltaire on the great importance of his ideas wasn't precisely an easy task –or enjoyable for that matter. He had already crumpled several papers into balls, which were scattered all over the desk and the floor.

He sighed heavily, frustration starting to build up as ideas remained absent in his mind. Lazily, the boy went through his notes with the hope of finding something useful. He was reading a particularly interesting passage when a sharp poke on the back of his neck broke his concentration.

Rolling his eyes and sighing once again, he continued reading. When he was about to highlight a sentence, he felt another poke but this time on his head. Yet, he did nothing but keep on working.

At the fourth time, Thad couldn't bare it any longer and turned around, anger transforming his usual calm expression into a one of pure annoyance.

"Sebastian, would you please stop that?" He bellowed, clenching his teeth afterwards as he glared at the boy in question.

Sebastian's smile widened, and far from acknowledging the plea he simply threw the paper aeroplane aiming to Thad's face. The other boy ducked it easily, glancing irritably at his roommate afterwards.

"Don't you have homework to do?" Thad inquired, arms folded over his chest in a clear gesture of disproof.

Sebastian merely pointed at the pile of solved Calculus and Physics exercises on his desk to answer the question; and then he sneered, full of himself. Thad couldn't do anything but admit defeat before going back to his own homework. However, it seemed that Sebastian wasn't of the same idea, for he was the target of the little aeroplanes as soon as he started writing.

"Don't you have a French test tomorrow?" Thad growled in distress, as he considered burning all Sebastian's notebooks and draft copies from the face of the Earth as a plausible way of action. The moment the question left his lips he knew that it was an utterly stupid resource to use, and the boy's reaction proved him right as he raised an eyebrow –a plain and mute version of "You are kidding me, aren't you?".

Thad didn't bother asking if Sebastian was teasing him simply out of boredom, because after being his roommate for a whole year and a few months he already knew the answer. Truth to be told, if that essay wasn't due to the next day, he would have probably even went along with it.

However, as the paper aeroplanes continued hitting him for the next five minutes, his characteristic pacific nature began to fade to be replaced with irritation. In the end, the latter won and he got up, rushed angrily towards Sebastian, gripped his notebook and before the taller boy could even protest he had already thrown it out of the window –although moments earlier he had wanted nothing more eagerly than throwing the damn book at him, both literally and figuratively.

Sebastian pulled a stunned face at his roommate.

"You know, I was actually doing something productive rather than just stuck my nose on a book." He said, soon afterwards, with an odd bantering tone in his voice.

Thad raised his eyebrows, not believing what he had actually heard coming out from his friend's mouth. He was really taking the teasing to an extreme, bordering on ridiculousness.

"I beg to differ, since when doing paper aeroplanes and throwing them at people can pass for something productive?" He retorted, matter-of-factly.

Sebastian let a wry laugh escape from his lips.

"I wasn't just randomly doing such a thing. I was actually studying gravity, you know?" He replied, as his expression grew both mocking and defiant. And even though Thad had felt indignant at the way Sebastian had been treating, couldn't help but laugh out loud, briefly, at that statement. "And speaking of studying gravity, this will make you come back down to Earth." Sebastian chuckled.

The taller boy grabbed a spiral-bound book from the book shelf above his bed and threw it to Thad, who this time caught it grasping it tightly, rather than ducking the flying object. He looked at Sebastian soon afterwards, half stunned and half relieved. The boy before him merely shrugged his shoulders and gave him an encouraging look to just open the book. It was actually a recompilation of notes from Philosophy classes; Thad recognized the neat and slightly spidery handwriting of his roommate.

"Voltaire is not _that_ difficult, you know?" Sebastian mumbled at the other boy's silence, while he was going through his Physics notes. "Well, at least what we've seen so far. Besides, I owed you once since you helped me with Calculus a week ago. So consider my debt paid." He smiled fondly at him.

After so much time spent together, Thad had learnt to grow fond of Sebastian. Regardless of his assertive and arrogant personality, which gained him hatred for voicing his thoughts with no filter whatsoever, Sebastian was indeed a good person beyond that brash exterior of his.

They had learnt to understand one another, thanks to not what they said but to those things which were left unspoken. Both have come to comprehend each other silences with no need of words. Thad now knew that Sebastian's apparently perfect American accent soon faded when he was anxious, nervous, and angry or any sort of combination between the three –gaining a marked and thick French accent, the boy even swung between the two languages when he was especially nervous or worried. In the same way, Sebastian couldn't help but notice how Thad soon became more sensitive, sometimes aggressive even, when someone disturbed him while he was doing anything of great importance.

There was something similar in their personalities, as if somewhere in between Thad's reserved attitude and Sebastian's daring one there were commonalities that bound them together in mutual understanding.

Thad had come to the conclusion that the facade was a defence mechanism to guard against suffering, a suffering directly related to a love relationship –at least, those were Thad's assumptions after reading between the lines of Sebastian comments about such topic, and also the way he reacted to the mere idea of romance in general.

Sebastian was known for having numerous wanton amorous advances, to put it nicely. Not even once had Thad heard him talk about a past romantic relationship, but it was Sebastian's reluctance to even mention the topic what gave him grounds for suspecting a past dreadful experience. Besides, there was also this name, _Louis_, which was brought up in almost every serious conversation between Sebastian and his siblings –conversations that, obviously, Thad had overheard. He had never pushed for details, though. If his memory served him well every now and then Sebastian would be in low spirits, and there was nothing that anyone could do to cheer him up. Thad suspected it had something to do with this Louis boy, and the painful memories to him linked.

Truth to be told, those moments had decreased that school year. Nick and Jeff would claim that it had to do with the undeniable chemistry between him and the new Warbler Captain –Thad wouldn't be of the same opinion, since both of them basically brabbled about almost everything, having quarrelsome chatters at every single Warbler practice. It was hard for him to believe that there were hidden feelings behind those rows, especially since Hunter was straight... 'Or so he claims', Nick's usual statements echoed in his mind.

"Do you have a table of integrals?" Sebastian's question interrupted his rail of thoughts abruptly.

Thad grabbed his rucksack and handed Sebastian the table. A few minutes after, it was obvious that his roommate was having troubles with something, for he didn't cease flicking his hazelnut-coloured hair, as he twirled a pencil around with his fingers.

"There's an x missing. The correct integral is _3x + 2x^2_, and the domain of the integration goes from -9 to 5, not from -9 to 4." Thad said suddenly, looking at the exercise above Sebastian's shoulder.

Sebastian looked up and then nodded, thanking him with a small smile that curved the corners of his mouth slightly.

An hour later, they were both heading to the canteen to have dinner. In their way there, they nearly ran into Hunter and some students of the showjumping team. However, they took a seat at a nearby table, and Sebastian couldn't help but glancing at them from time to time.

"Sebastian, seriously. Do all of us a favour and go talk to him, flirt, and then fuck him senseless if you want to. I swear to God, if I have to endure another Warbler practice choking with your heavy sexual tension, I'd personally lock you both in the locker rooms." Nick hissed after Sebastian had sighed heavily while glancing at Hunter.

However, it was Jeff who choked with his food due to Nick's threat out of laughter; Sebastian simply shot him a furious glare and swallowed an acid answer, but picked at his food in anger instead. The implicit fury made Jeff wonder if he was channelling the urge to punch either Nick or Hunter, maybe both. Thad watched his friend by the corner of his eye, but remained silent.

**||.x.x./|\\.x.x.||**

"So, Hunter finishes practice today at half past five. At the same time Sebastian does." Nick said in a whisper out of the blue, leaning over his French textbook as if he was giving some sort of top-secret information.

Thad raised an eyebrow, puzzled at the statement. The Dalton reading room was filled with a deep silence, a welcome to study in peace –or so Thad had thought.

"What are you suggesting?" He asked, suspecting beforehand where the conversation was going to aim to.

A mischievous smile appeared on Nick's face. "Don't play dumb, Thaddeus Hardwood. You know what, what I suggested yesterday at dinner. And don't tell me you're actually okay with them fighting all the time... if the situation doesn't change quickly, we won't be ready for locals in time and we both know that's a luxury we can't take." His voice grew serious as he spoke, to end with a harsh warning tone.

Nick, indeed, had a point. What Thad actually feared was that they were going to put Sebastian between the sword and the wall. Besides, they didn't know how Hunter would react, what if he actually saw that as some sort of predatory-gay move on Sebastian side and... No, he wasn't going to let his imagination take that path.

"I don't agree with you on this. It can be a risky situation for Sebastian. He's our friend, for God's sake, Nick!" Thad answered, scandalized. "Are you seriously so worried about a competition that you'll jeopardise a friendship?"

"Of course I am not, Thad. What I am trying to do here is make them both come to their senses." Nick pointed out in a conciliatory tone. "And don't you dare to tell me they don't feel anything for each other. Not even remotely bi-curious, my ass! I've seen Hunter looking at Sebastian when he thinks nobody is watching, and I swear that he's eyefucking him." He told Thad bluntly, with a serious expression in his face.

"Nick, you're also very imaginative when it comes to this sort of things..." Thad reminded him as tactful as he could, he certainly didn't want to start a quarrel with one of his best friends out of discussing a plan to get two people together -such thing was utterly stupid.

The other boy rolled his eyes in frustration and disagreement.

"Don't give me that crap. You're all blind, that's all. The moment Kurt set a foot on that choir room I knew he was totally head over heels in love with Blaine. And in the end I was right, do I need to remind you what you told me when I first spoke my suspicions?" Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow; as he glared at Thad with a full-of-himself look that was a strong reminiscent of Sebastian.

_Touché_. Well, maybe it was high time he listened to his friend thoughts on the matter for a change; as it was said: _no pain, no gain_.

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So, any thoughts? what do you think about the story? Remember that's more yet to come, and you'll get to see if Nick's assumptions were correct or not. Btw, All critics and reviews will be highly appreciated. Thank you so much for reading if you've made it this far! :)


	2. Part II

First of all, I want to thank all of you for reviewing, following and adding this story to your favourites. You're amazing! :) Also, I want to give a huge thanks to **Jess**, who is my beta and corrected all my mistakes and also improved my writing. I hope you guys like these new chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :)

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Part II

At Dalton Academy, each team from each sport had its respective locker rooms. However, due to repairs encouraged by the headmaster, some teams were actually sharing them. The situation had proven to be slightly problematic, especially if the teams happened to finish practices at the same time –which tend to occur very often lately, as the season started and the first competitions approached.

It wasn't a situation that Hunter found inconvenient. After years of attending to a military school, he had got used to communal showers. However, that didn't mean he actually enjoyed them -and it wasn't just for the thought of how unhygienic they were.

He took his helmet off, the gloves resting on the bench along with the show jumping team jacket. The riding boots were actually hurting his feet, not because they were uncomfortable but he had fell from Little Miss Patriot during practice, and the mare had kicked him on both legs by accident when he fell to the ground.

The skin was starting to turn a sickly shade of purplish-blue and a sharp pain stroke him every time he forced the muscles too much. Hunter tried to move as slowly as he could, but even walking began to feel painful. Besides, his whole body ached from the fall, and the boy was now pretty damn sure he had more bruises than he had initially thought.

He clenched his jaw unconsciously, as well as his fists, took a deep breath and reminded himself that he'd better man up about it. It was just a stupid injury, he had had worse ones back at Chicago Springs.

"Hey, Clarington, do you need any help?" A voice startled him.

Hunter turned around to be faced with Sebastian Smythe. The taller boy seemed to have just got out of practice as well, if the bulky lacrosse uniform was anything to go by –the navy-blue and crimson-red totemic thunderbird stood out on his chest, as well as on the bright red Cascade Pro 7 helmet he was holding.

For no reason, Hunter avoided his gaze and bewilderment shone in the bright green eyes of the other teenager. Then, Hunter shook his head to decline the offer and stood up –or at least tried to, the pain was now so intense that he could barely stand upright without seeing stars.

Before he let himself fall on the bench again, he felt two strong arms catching him. Hunter froze at the sudden contact and all the muscles from his body became tense with an odd, indescribable fear -some sort of new anxiety?

Sebastian swallowed hard, uncertainty clouding his judgment. He had gotten hold of the boy's upper torso to stop the fall, but now the air in his lungs seemed to burn at the impulsive contact and the proximity. Hunter tensed under his touch and Sebastian fought the urge to pull away –knowing that if he did so, the blonde would end up losing his balance.

It was awkward, neither sure what to do next; Sebastian was too worried that no matter what he did Hunter would feel he was making an advance towards him and they'd end up fighting whilst Hunter was deeply apprehensive that somehow Sebastian had misunderstood his reactions, and so both remained where they were, waiting for the other to end the embarrassed silence.

For Hunter, feeling anything more than gratitude to Sebastian was unthinkable- why was he even acting like this? The nervousness and unease weren't like him, at all. Maybe that realization and the tension were to blame, or perhaps it had to do with the fact that Sebastian accidentally lowered his grip with his left hand to Hunter waist that caused all his inner alarms to go off, triggering something in Hunter.

"Get your hands off me, Smythe!" He shouted furiously, shoving him away with a rough push.

Hunter's breathing was so heavy and ragged that Sebastian could see his chest rising and falling fast, his nostrils flaring with rage.

"Calm down, you idiot, I wasn't trying to do anything I was just helping you out!" Sebastian yelled in response, feeling the anger building up inside him fast. That was the fucking problem when dealing with people like Clarington and being gay; they were always thinking that he was trying to make a pass at them, or they were up themselves enough to think they were worth his attention.

"Do you think I'm stupid?!"

"Are we suppressing feelings, Clarington? I actually don't give a fuck about what you do or don't think! Do you know what? Screw you, I don't care what the fuck happens to you now."

He didn't even know why he had stayed to help him in the first place. If that was the kind of thankful response he was going to get, he should not have the nerve to lend a hand in the first place. "Find your own way back to the dorms, and don't you dare to ask the predatory gay for help because I don't give a damn, Clarington."

He hissed the last part through his teeth before leaving, not wanting to have to look at the other's face for a second longer.

Hunter kept his face emotionless, pretending not to be affected by the other boy's words. His rage had grown at the insinuation of hidden emotions. He was perfectly fine with his current sexual leaning, and he was certainly not going to waste his time discussing something as superfluous as that. He watched as Sebastian stormed away, bag over one of his shoulders and lacrosse stick in the other hand.

Hunter couldn't suppress a moan of anguish when he tried to walk and all his body hurt, muscles twitching painfully.

"Fuck." He grumbled. He tried to stop the pain by taking deep breaths, but his efforts were in vain.

Somehow, he mustered the strength and will to grab his things and made his way towards the entrance. However, when he was a few meters away, he heard a loud thump along with a litany of French words that he couldn't understand –but for the annoyed tone, he suspected them to be insults.

"_Merde!_" Sebastian screamed shrilly, punching the metal door once again out of frustration. He couldn't yet believe his luck. Why had the caretaker closed the bloody door half an hour before he was due to do it? Just, awesome. Plus, he now had to deal with the prospect of being trapped there with Clarington. This had to be the best day yet to date.

With a frustrated growl, he let his body fall all the way to the floor. He rested his head and back against the concrete column –which was uncomfortable, but there was no way he was going back to the benches. He was going to avoid Clarington as much as he could, considering that now they would be trapped in there until they reopened the locker rooms the following day –he couldn't let Thad know that he was in trouble because he had forgotten his cell-phone at the dorm and besides, his friend would suspect nothing when he didn't show up before curfew, he would just assume he was _occupied_ with someone.

Looking back, Sebastian realised he had felt offended by Clarington's reaction and maybe he acted on a whim because of that. He was actually having second thoughts about leaving him there alone. After all, the boy was injured and no matter how much of a pain in the ass he could be, he shouldn't have abandon him to his fate –he wasn't going to die or something equally devastating, that was for sure, but there was the slim chance that he could injure himself even worse trying to move on his own.

Sebastian looked up and saw the boy in question approaching, limping and moving with difficulty. However, Sebastian didn't move from where he was. It was a matter of pride, after all. The other boy avoided his gaze and sat down on the floor, slightly wincing when another wave of pain washed over him.

Hunter couldn't help but feel guilty about his previous emotional and violent outburst, though he didn't know how to apologise for his behaviour. What was he supposed to say in a situation like this? It wasn't like he knew how to approach Sebastian, which would be something that Thad would know –not that he was around to ask for help. He sighed heavily, and came to the conclusion that it was better to go straight to the point. He got to his feet with difficulty and then approached the teenager, whose head was resting against his arms, folded above his knees that he'd pulled up to his chest.

If the boy in question heard him approaching he didn't even flinch at it. Hunter cleared his throat to get his attention, and Sebastian raised his head, looking only marginally less pissed off, and shot him an annoyed glare.

"What the fuck do you want, Clarington?" The boy demanded.

"I want to apologise for my earlier behaviour. It was... unkind"

He trailed off, trying to find the most suitable adjective to use

"I shouldn't have reacted that way, I shouldn't have made any assumptions beforehand. And I _am_ sorry about that, Smythe."

He ended truthfully, and waited for Sebastian's answer if there was going to be one at all.

"I didn't think douchebags like you liked apologising."

Hunter didn't respond to the provocation and ignored the urge to comment that, if anything, Sebastian was even worse than he was. All that Sebastian wanted was teasing him senseless until he either had another outburst or ended up apologising for everything he had ever done to him. As truly sorry as Hunter knew Sebastian was eager to make him look like a fool- and Hunter wasn't going to entertain him.

"Have you tried to call someone?" Hunter asked him, changing the subject instead.

"No, I didn't even bring my cell-phone along with me. It wasn't like I was expecting something like this could happen, Captain." Sebastian answered, words like acid.

"It was worth the shot, don't you think?" Hunter merely said, trying to relieve the tension that had created like a wall between them.

"Whatever. Cut this crap, Hunter, we both hate each other and there's no need to act nicely towards one another. If you are so gregarious that you have this urge to socialize, I am _deeply _sorry to tell you that I am not up to it."

Sebastian was still visibly hurt about the earlier confrontation. His usual reaction to anything resembling criticism was usually cruel; convincing others to gang up on the poor student in question or at least spitting back something that usually left whoever had crossed him in tears. The silence was unusual, almost as much as the lasting anger. Sebastian was never angry for too long. Apparently Hunter had hit more than just one nerve.

He sighed, and focused on trying to remain still to keep the pain at ease.

And with that, both teenagers went back to ignore each other, as a tense silence settled over the room.

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So, what do you guys think about Nick's plan considering what happened? Btw, this is the very first time I write about Hunter, and I wanted to add some insecurities to that confident exterior of his -I hope it didn't end up being ooc. Thanks a lot for reading! See you in the next update ;)


	3. Part III

A very special thanks to everyone who have been so kind to leave a review with your thoughts about the story. I also want to thank those who have submitted the story to your favourites and/or follows. Thanks to everyone for the support! :) And last but not least a huge 'thank you' to my adorable Beta-Reader **Jess**, whose help I find invaluable. Nothing else to be said, other than enjoy the chapter! :)

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Part III

Hunter looked at Sebastian through the corner of his eye, as surreptitiously as he could. He felt an odd sensation settling in his stomach, unpleasant and elating at the same time. And it was at moments like this one that he felt a suffocating fear climbing up his spine with sharp claws, what if he was...? Hunter didn't even want to think of the word. Just thinking about it, giving it even the slightest hint of acknowledgement would make it real, and the emotions that he still refused to admit to himself he kept caged would release. It would ruin him.

His reaction had nothing to do with his family being non-accepting. As far as he could recall, they have never said anything on the matter, at least directly. But there always were passing comments, whispered words at family reunions, expressions that could have meant acceptance or disapproval depending on the way they were said. His parents were difficult to read at times, and Hunter had long since decided it was better not to ask for clarification.

And yet again, it wasn't because his parents were too strict or not fair-minded enough. It all came down to his insecurities and fears, rather than the possible bad reaction that his family could have. Hunter had repeated over and over again the same things to himself that he was no longer able to pinpoint when the rationality was speaking and when his heart was doing so, inside his mind.

If Sebastian became aware of his troubled expression or his gaze towards him, he made a grand job at hiding it. To be honest, Hunter didn't know how to behave around Sebastian. Although he always tried to remain in control and at ease, a military-strict facade, the taller boy was a challenge –not only because of the things he said or did, but also for the tangled emotions he_ aroused _in Hunter, feelings that knew of annoyance, a slight hatred but also of something that he couldn't quite name yet... or maybe it was something he hadn't plucked up the courage to face either.

"As soon as we get out of here, I'm fetching the nurse... you don't look good, Clarington." He heard Sebastian mumble, breaking his rail of thoughts with the sudden statement.

Sebastian did it partly because he was starting to get sick of the silence (and frankly he may have over-reacted about the whole thing), partly because Hunter's gaze was making him feel equally uncomfortable and, well, also delighted.

Hunter merely looked at him, to nod briefly afterwards. The pain on his legs and body in general wasn't unbearable, but it was slightly causing him discomfort. He was pretty sure he hadn't broken anything, luckily for him.

When he stretched his legs, however, a sharp wave of pain washed over him and couldn't help but let out a suffocated whimper. Sebastian reacted almost immediately, his expression grew worried and soon he was by Hunter's side with a clearly wary expression on his face. The taller boy seemed to be troubled, as if he was constantly suppressing actions in the fear of upsetting the other boy somehow

Cautiously, Sebastian kneeled next to Hunter, who could only look at him as his throat went dry all out of sudden at the other boy's proximity. Sebastian shifted, slightly awkward at the acknowledgment of the Captain's unease, and then hovered uncertainly, waiting for Hunter's reaction to their closeness. As the brunette remained still, Sebastian gave him a reassuring look and moved his hands towards the other boy's right foot. He did it slowly, so Hunter could stop him if he was feeling uncomfortable or somewhat invaded by his actions.

Hunter didn't even flinch, not even when Sebastian fingers grabbed the border of his riding trousers and hitched them up, brushing their skins together without intending it. Sebastian, however, noticed that Hunter's skin was turning slightly red. When he lifted up the left leg from the boy's trousers up to his knee, he saw it: the ankle was red and very swollen. When he felt it, cautiously, Hunter couldn't muster the will to suppress a twitch.

"Shit, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you? Ehm... more than you already are, I mean." He blurted out.

Hunter didn't answer immediately; he took his time to inspect the injury instead. With a quick look, he realised that he had indeed sprained his left ankle. Well, maybe he hadn't been so lucky after all. The brunette sighed heavily and tried to keep the anger to himself, Sebastian didn't really deserve to be the target of his frustration at that moment.

"No, you haven't, don't worry. It's just... it hurts. The last serious injury I had was back at my old school and, well, let just say I was hoping I had already covered the annual quota." He answered, shrugging it off and trying to ignore the pain as much as he could.

Sebastian had turned around whilst he was talking, and was actually seeking eagerly for something in his sports bag, leaving a mess of discarded things all around them on the floor. He turned around after a few seconds to face Hunter again, holding an elastic bandage in his hands. Hunter raised an eyebrow, an unspoken question if he knew how to put that thing on. Sebastian let his lips curve into a small smile as a response.

"Smythe, have you ever given first-aids to someone?"

"Yep. When you have a hyper-active brother like Scott, you're bound to know stuff like this overtime, or else he wouldn't be walking right now."

The hazelnut-haired one asked, as he examined the injury closely, his eyes lighting up with concern, and measured how much bandage he'd need to bandage Hunter's leg up.

"And it's my duty after all, you know, older brother and stuff..." He didn't finish the sentence, probably finding the rest easy to be guessed.

Hunter was puzzled. He had never heard of any siblings before, and although he was curious about it, he couldn't exactly ask Sebastian about his brother out of the blue. The few half an hour they have spent together without jumping at each other's throats didn't exactly count as enough 'friend' bonding to start questioning his personal life.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I've siblings too, although the best definition for Cassie is a pain in the ass but still." He didn't finish his statement either, partly for the same reasons as Sebastian and partly because the boy before him had just tightened the bandage around the injury that caused a stab of pain to sweep through him.

"Well, aren't all younger siblings like that?" Sebastian retorted, finding it slightly funny. "I actually have to take care of two, you know. I have another brother even younger than Scott, Trent. Speaking of which, how old is Cassie?" He asked the Captain, sounding curious, as he sat on the floor across him.

Hunter tried to find a more comfortable position before answering the question, stretching his body and muscles even though the position in which he was sitting, body against the column and the wall, couldn't be considered injury-prone at all.

"She's eleven and turning twelve next Monday. She's already over the moon about her birthday," Hunter confessed, his expression grew tender as he spoke about his younger sister. "She wants me to take her to a One Direction concert and I honestly don't have the heart to tell her no. Although I don't know how on Earth I am going to endure that." This time, he rolled his eyes at the mere idea; the prospect of being surrounded by screaming teenagers got him on his nerves.

Sebastian found that adorable, even though he'd never admit having that thought. Not ever. He chuckled slightly at the thought of Hunter's distress, and nodded as if he agreed with him. He folded his arms over his chest to keep himself warm and tried not to think about how hungry he was. Damn, he still didn't know how they had ended up locked up in the first place.

"Well, who could have guessed you have a soft side, Clarington?" Sebastian teased him, playfully.

Hunter grunted and glared at him.

"Fuck you, Smythe."

"I'll be delighted." Sebastian answered, before thinking it twice and with flirting tone included.

It was when Hunter eyes widened in amazement that the he realised what he had just said. Oh, crap. Well, he was lucky Hunter had sprained his ankle; he could get on his feet right now and start running as fast as he could. After all, he liked his face as it was, pretty and perfect, bruise-free also; _thank you very much_.

**||.x.x./|\\.x.x.||**

The scratchy noise of the pen over the paper was suddenly interrupted. Thad raised his head, ignoring his History essay for the first time in the last hour. He glanced quickly at the clock. An hour had gone by since Nick locked up Hunter and Sebastian into the locker rooms.

The boy in question was lying on the floor, carefree, lobbing a ball into the air and catching it when gravity did its work. A chuckle played in his throat, and he let it out in a soft hum.

"How much do you guys wanna bet that they're jumping at each other's bones by now?" Nick asked, a mischievous smile plastered on his face.

Jeff paid no heed to Nick's question; for he was too busy playing to some random video game in his laptop. Nevertheless, Thad's brow furrowed.

"And what if they're on the verge of killing each other? Didn't that possibility cross through that imaginative mind of yours?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Thaddeus. Those two need to come to terms with the fact they're bound to be together. No matter how badly Hunter wants everyone to think that he doesn't like to raise another man's flag, I know better." He answered, lifting his chin in a cunning gesture.

"Besides, you should pay more attention to the way they act around each other! The other day Sebastian spent the majority of Warbler practice just checking out Hunter through the corner of his eye... haven't you noticed the way Hunter always claims that Sebastian doesn't get the moves right when he's the only one that is actually dancing properly? And so he shows off in front of him?" He snorted, raising his eyebrows. "And, please, don't get me started with the last lacrosse game when Sebastian took off his shirt to celebrate, not that he usually waits for an excuse. Flint was pretty sure that Hunter's eyes were roaming over Sebastian's bare chest from the distance, and that the look on his face wasn't precisely, you know, of disgust."

He repressed the impulse of adding that the light in Hunter's eyes was, according to Flint, strangely needy and anxious. The awkwardness that soon had followed had enabled Flint to read some sort of unease in Hunter; as if he was having a battle with his own mind -judging by the troubled expression that had appeared on his face. After a while Hunter had composed himself enough to smack Flint in the arm, and that had ended the awkward moment soon enough.

Thad, however, shook his head in disagreement.

"All that I'm saying is that we don't know Hunter well enough to predict how he will react. Besides, it's Sebastian I'm worried for, because if you're right, we're talking about two people with a leaning of hiding his emotions. What do you think is going to become from that?" Thad pointed out, his voice growing preoccupied as he spoke.

Jeff patted him on the shoulder, smiling brightly. Apparently the level of the conversation on its own had been enough to draw his attention.

"Give Sebastian more credit. He's not an idiot, I am sure he knows how to ehm... test the waters."

After a few more minutes of discussion, however, the three of them agreed they should unlock the doors –not just for the safety of the plan, but also because they'd all be in a serious trouble if someone found the two boys there the following morning. Silently, they made their way to the metal doors. Nick couldn't stop whispering that he was so going to win that bet.

**||.x.x./|\\.x.x.||**

Far from being offended, Hunter remained silent as he suppressed all the impulses of snapping aggressively at the slimmer boy. He was just joking around, this was Sebastian Smythe –his daily activities included such things, along with being insufferable, arrogant, and assertive as well as other things that Hunter wasn't going to think about at that moment, or he could run the risk of letting his imagination run wild.

Hunter throat had actually gone dry at the response, and he was pretty damn sure his heart was racing… but just at the thought of being the target of Sebastian mocking, right? It had to be that. He couldn't let his mind go beyond that. Just, no.

When a heavy sigh escaped from Hunter's clenched jaw, Sebastian read it as a signal to get the hell out of there –if he could only do so, naturally. He was about to stand up fast when he realised Hunter hadn't moved a muscle. Puzzled, the taller boy eyes fixed on him, now more worried than scared.

"Hunter, I am sorry I didn't mean to..."

Why the blazes was he even apologising for? He was Sebastian _fucking_ Smythe, he never apologised —sure, his siblings and real friends were an exception, but when did he start apologising to Hunter?

Hunter's face stayed blank, but he answered in a solemnly calm voice.

"I know you weren't implying anything. Really, it's okay. Don't worry about it."

He assured him, clearly trying to smile slightly in an attempt to ease the tension between them but failing spectacularly at it.

"As I was saying, I don't know what I am going to do. I haven't even got the tickets yet and I'd better hurry or there won't be any more left." He trailed off, as if Sebastian had just commented on the weather and hadn't let an innuendo slip into their prior conversation.

"Well, you should get them. Talking from experience, it's not easy to deal with a tantrum." Sebastian pointed out in a relaxed tone.

Hunter nodded in agreement.

"What about your brothers? I haven't really met them yet." Hunter asked, enquiring, truly curious. To be honest, maybe he would have to give Little Miss Patriot some sugar lumps on Friday; Smythe wasn't precisely unlikeable after all.

Sebastian lifted his chin, rubbed his eyes a bit before responding.

"Well, the most remarkable aspect is that they look like me, and when I say it I mean it. We're triplets." He said, smiling slightly at the other boy's amusement.

"We tend to style our hair different so other people don't confuse us, although you can easily tell who is who just by the personalities. Plus, as I've mentioned already, Scott is much of a hyperactive kid so... you won't miss that."

Sebastian explained Hunter what he had already told to Thad, Jeff and Nick when they first met his siblings –although the most accurate description would be 'when Thad tried to drag a very confused Trent to the choir room, convinced he was Sebastian and was trying to skip practice'.

Sebastian couldn't believe that he was actually enjoying Hunter's company. Before this encounter, just to give a name to this _thing _they both had to sit through, he had thought that the other student was nothing more than a self-confident, big-headed, boastful, strict boy who thought he could tread on everyone's toes, boss them around and that the Warblers have to get along with that just because now it was him who was in charge. Well, to be honest, he still thought Hunter was a _big-headed bastard_, at least now he was one he could relate to. Who knew if he wouldn't grow fond of him as well?

Well, that was a stupid thought. He definitely needed to rest. And also eat; the lack of nutrients was messing with his neurones, apparently.

"Hey, can you stand up?" He asked Hunter, who nodded.

Sebastian ignored the other's protest and helped him to stand on his feet again. They grabbed their bags and headed to the entrance doors once again, hoping that by some sort of miracle they were opened. To their amusement, they indeed were. They laugh and sighed in relief at the realization. They had opened far too easily for Sebastian not to expect any trickery involved- trickery supplied by a certain excitable student and his blond haired friend, but he was far too happy to be free to consider revenge. At least for now, anyway, he'd make them pay later. It just gave him more time to plan…

Silence settled down between them as they headed to their dorms. They were both too tired to utter another word. Sebastian, however, remembered the thing that amidst the relief they had forgotten and dragged Hunter all the way down to the nurse's office.

"Well, who would have guessed that you are not only a pain in the ass as I had initially thought?" Hunter confessed when they reached his dorm.

"The feeling is mutual, my Captain." Sebastian said, chuckling.

Hunter pulled the door opened and then turned around, his body resting a bit awkwardly on the doorframe. He stuck his hand out.

"See you around, _Sebastian._"

Sebastian grabbed it and shook hands with him. He looked into Hunter's eyes and could see there was something mirroring there, something probably mirrored in his own —something that he couldn't name quite yet, but a feeling that had all the signs of a growing friendship.

"See you around, _Hunter_."

And with that, Hunter closed the door, and Sebastian walked a few meters to enter his dorm. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Thad, Nick and Jeff in there, the two latter of them were looking at him with mischievous smiles creeping over their faces. Then, the plan to spend time creating an elaborate revenge was thrown out of the window as he registered the row of smirking faces.

"Nicholas Duval, consider yourself a dead man!" He screamed to the top of his voice, not really caring if he woke up the whole school.

* * *

Let's see how long this truce last between this two, shall we? I am not going to spoil you the next and final part of this story, but what I can tell you is that there's a surprise in store for both Sebastian and Hunter ;) I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and that you're eager to keep reading! Remember that a writer who gets feedback is a happy writer, apart from being an encouragement to update sooner :)

Kind regards,

**.Onryo.**


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